The Heroes of Olympus: The Demigod Diaries

The Heroes of Olympus: The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan

It is nice to be able to enjoy some Percy Jackson books where the stakes are not so high. Sure, there is the risk of death from monsters. But, "forgetting kiss anniversary" is more important than saving the world. The stories range among a number of topics. Some provide backstory for characters in the novels. My favorite was just a fun romp. Hermes asked Percy to retrieve his staff. They battle a giant to get it back. However, the giant is not familiar with how to use it and is just as likely to send out credit card receipts as he is to use a laser gun. The snakes also provide some comic relief. And in the end Percy resolves the "dating" issue with Annabeth. 

The Last Olympian: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5

The stakes continue to get bigger for Percy Jackson and the gang. The world as we know could reach the end. He is also struggling with girls. The story takes many twists and turns as the prophecies do end up being fulfilled, but in ways different than everyone expected. It is people that were previously enemies that end up playing important parts in saving Mount Olympus. A great battle takes place in New York City, with even a few "mortals" helping out a bit. In the end, Percy chooses to grow up as a teenager rather than immortality.

The Battle of the Labyrinth: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4

The Battle of the Labyrinth: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4 by Rick Riordan

Percy and the gang have various adventures as they travel through the labyrinth and engage in battles to prevent the end of the world. There are interesting relationships that pop up, with Aphrodite and Dionysus showing their true colors. The other gods come to visit and chat. There is a big battle and an end that sets up a future book. There are a lot of characters. I wish some could be more developed. (I still want to know how Rachel, a mortal, seems to have such powers.) 

The Titan's Curse: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3

The Titan's Curse: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3 by Rick Riordan

The main gods finally make an appearance in the end of the third Percy Jackson book. It feels anticlimactic. They are just average people rather than supernatural beings. Before that, Percy and friends tr to gather some halfbloods from a school. (They are kids now, but had been in the Lotus hotel since the time of FDR.) There are a number of battles, Annabeth goes missing and there is even a Green Day reference. (Along with Barry Manilow music being a "disorienting spell")

The Sea of Monsters: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2

The Sea of Monsters: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2 by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is friends with an outcast boy at school. This comes in handy when a bunch of monsters try to attack him in a dodgeball game to the death. The boy turns out to be a cyclops. Later, things are different at camp half-blood, with the new leader. They have chariot races, which go about as expected. Percy wants to go on a quest for the golden fleece and to rescue his satyr friend, however, somebody else gets the call. Percy and Annabeth go. The "sea of monsters" is now by the Bermuda triangle. They succeed and Percy becomes more accepting of his half-brother cyclops. There are also plenty of mythological references (including massive fail with the Sirens).

Three Below: Floors Book 2

Leo is now the owner of the Whippet hotel. The books starts with his dad marrying his best friend's mother. He now has a brother to lead him on adventures. This time, he needs to go on a quest to get money to pay the property tax bill (while the parents are out of town on a honeymoon.) To make things challenging the former hotel manager is planning on swooping up the hotel property by paying the taxes. they need to act quick. In the process they explore the lower levels of the hotel. Their adventures go further and further into the realm of fantasy. This book is clearly in the realm of children's literature. There are just too many holes and bits of fantasy to keep it believable. (The numbers all seem too low. Even the ridiculously high tax seems low for a block in Manhattan. The subterranean creatures and inventions also go way beyond the realm of our world. And of course, there is Merganser who seems to have nothing better to do than lead boys on a quest and make sure they don't get harmed. As long as you turn off critical thinking, you can enjoy this quick escapist read.

Floors

A young boy works with his dad in maintenance at an exotic and very posh hotel. The owner amassed a huge fortune and felt it was important to make all sorts of wacky inventions. In the course of the book, the boy goes through a quest where he learns more and more about the hotel and eventually discovers who is sabotaging it and what the future will be. He also finds a new friend and prepares himself for future leadership roles. The hotel turns out to be a kid's dreams with rooms ranging from "life size pinball machine" to a recreation of central park (along with many "secret" rooms in between. Ducks are also very important. The story is devoid of extreme drama and engaging for young readers.